


The Day Adrien Became a Stuttering Mess

by miraculousstorytelling



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Identity Reveal, Nervousness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-13
Updated: 2016-09-13
Packaged: 2018-08-14 18:36:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8024665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miraculousstorytelling/pseuds/miraculousstorytelling
Summary: When Adrien learns that Marinette is Ladybug but doesn't have the chance to tell her who he is, he finds himself nervous and blushing around her at school the next day.





	The Day Adrien Became a Stuttering Mess

"Milady, you forgot your-"

Cat Noir froze as a pink flash filled the alley, and before he had the sense to look away, Cat Noir was staring in shock at Marinette Dupain-Cheng. The hair ribbon he'd attempted to return to his partner fluttered to the ground as his jaw dropped.

"M-Marinette?!"

She flinched, "Um, I guess there's no point in pretending I'm not Ladybug now, is there?"

He took a moment to just breathe. In and out, he reminded himself silently. This was fine. This wasn't a big deal. This didn't have to be a big deal. "You're Ladybug."

She nodded hesitantly, fiddling with the strap of her purse as her kwami settled on her shoulder.

He exhaled slowly, "Wow..." Somehow, everything he couldn't fit into words, all the shock, the wonder, the confusion, the absolute elation of finally knowing, all condensed into that one small syllable.

She relaxed when their eyes met. She must have seen the way he was smiling at her, maybe even recognized the blush staining his cheeks, because she smiled, too, and he could almost swear his heart forgot how to function when he saw that.

Ladybug. She's Ladybug, he thought to himself, all nerves and insecurity in the face of his friend, his partner, and his crush all wrapped up in one beautiful person.

He took a deep breath, "Milady. I'm A-"

She cut him off with a finger to his lips, "Wait, Cat... We can at least keep _your_ identity secret, right? You shouldn't tell me."

He paused as she lowered her hand, and he swallowed an instinctive protest, "But... That's not fair to you."

She chuckled, "I think I'll survive."

He frowned, "Marinette..."

But, she was already leaving, "Sorry, I have to get home for dinner. We... we'll talk about this later, Cat." She smiled and waved as she ran past him, half of her hair loose and the other half still tied into a ponytail. "Night!"

"N-night," he murmured softly, managing a wave as she rushed by. His transformation vanished the second she rounded the corner, and he sank back against the wall, "Plagg..."

Plagg snickered, "What? I thought you _wanted_ to find out who Ladybug was."

"Not like _this_ ," Adrien whined, running a shaky hand through his hair.

"Not enough candlelight, Romeo?" Plagg teased, hovering at eye level.

"We were supposed to find out together." Adrien murmured, "And...and it's _Marinette_!" he groaned in frustration, "How am I supposed to talk to her tomorrow?"

"Same as always." Plagg answered with a shrug, "Now, where's my Camembert?"

 

The next day at school was difficult, to say the least. Adrien had hoped everything would be normal even as he knew it couldn't be. He'd coached himself dozens of times before leaving the house, practicing the daily greeting that seemed _so easy_ before. All he had to do was smile and say hello and sit. Simple. So simple.

Marinette smiled when he walked through the door, and he could practically feel his stomach performing acrobatics as he moved closer to his seat.

Okay, maybe it wouldn't exactly be simple.

"H-Hey, Adrien!" She stammered out with a blush.

"Hi, M-Marinette," he stuttered and immediately winced when Alya stared at him in absolute shock. He quickly sat to disguise the blush creeping up the back of his neck and over his cheeks.

Nino glanced over at him with a raised brow, "You okay, dude?"

"Yeah, fine," Adrien answered, pretending not to notice how his voice cracked when he spoke. He hoped Nino would do the same, and luckily for him, Nino was a kind soul and more than willing to overlook a little awkwardness.

Alya, however, was not.

"Adrien," she asked a little too sweetly, "How are you today?"

"Fine, Alya, thanks for asking," he answered, barely glancing at her.

"Really? You seem a little...distracted? Is that the word I'm looking for? What do you think, Marinette?"

Marinette had been dreamily imagining asking Adrien to lunch, so when Alya interrupted her reverie, she unwittingly murmured the first thing on her mind, "He looks great, Alya. He always does."

Alya chuckled, and Adrien reddened, quickly staring straight ahead at the board in an attempt to pretend he hadn't heard that.

Marinette seemed to realize all at once what she'd said, and she squeaked out an apology.

Adrien shook his head and shot her a brief look, "You're great, Marinette." Then, he blushed, "I-I mean, _it's_ great. It's _fine_." He turned forward again and cringed, mumbling, "S-sorry."

"Whoa..." Nino lowered his voice and leaned closer, "Adrien, do you have a crush on Marinette?"

Adrien wasn't sure how much more embarrassment he could take as he ducked his head and softly answered, "It's...complicated?"

Nino chuckled, "Dude, just ask her out. I know she'll say yes if you do."

"I, um..." Adrien had met many women, many fans, and many people in general. He'd experienced flirting. He'd flirted with Ladybug a thousand times. Given all this, asking Marinette out shouldn't seem as daunting as it did in that moment. The worst part was that Nino of all people had every right to insist that Adrien ask Marinette out if he wanted to. After all, Adrien had insisted on Nino doing the same when Nino had been in the throes of his own crush on Marinette.

Thankfully, before Adrien could reply, class began and he was left to his own thoughts. Adrien couldn't focus, and for the first time in his life, he didn't know the answer when he was called on. The teacher was quietly surprised for a moment before she gently chided him for letting his mind wander.

In reality, he felt less like his mind had wandered and more like Marinette, _Ladybug_ he reminded himself, had grabbed his mind by the hand and led it somewhere else entirely. Despite his best efforts, every time he looked down at his tablet to focus, all he saw was spots and a pair of blue bell eyes that made him sigh with desire and sadness.

She had no idea he was right there, and he couldn't exactly tell her with a classroom full of witnesses. Maybe he should have given in to the impulse to visit her last night and tell her before she could argue again. Maybe he'd be able to _think_ now if he had.

Adrien barely registered that class had ended. Nino nudged him to his feet, and Adrien absently stood then openly stared, jaw dropped, as Marinette rushed out the door, Alya in tow.

Nino chuckled, "You've got it bad, huh?"

Adrien grimaced, glancing down at his phone and deliberately ignoring the question, "I have a photo shoot this afternoon."

"Well, don't worry, dude. There's always tomorrow." Nino patted him on the shoulder as they both left the classroom.

And, oh, that word almost killed him where he stood. Yes, he could always ask her tomorrow, but he couldn't, just _couldn't_ when she had no idea that he was Cat Noir. That was horribly unfair, now that he knew she was the same girl he'd protected time and again, the same girl he'd fallen for after only the second time they met, and the very same girl who had fought by his side for months now.

"Yeah... Tomorrow."

 

Adrien tried to focus as he posed. He tried to push aside any memory or thought of Ladybug, of Marinette, of _anything_ but the camera and performing well enough to please his father. He smiled, he smoldered, he looked up, he looked down, following each and every direction given to him perfectly. It still wasn't good enough.

"The pasta is _raw_ ," the photographer insisted, indicating Adrien with a flustered scowl.

"Maybe we should try a new location," his assistant suggested, hunting through her tablet for a new place to shoot.

That was when Adrien noticed Marinette and Alya watching from a distance.

Adrien blushed and swallowed, finally speaking up, "Um, that won't be necessary. Let's just...try again." The photographer sighed and returned to his camera, clearly skeptical but hoping for the best anyway.

Adrien knew he might not be able to tell Marinette who he was, and he certainly wasn't willing to try to date her under what he would consider false pretenses, but Adrien wasn't above using his line of work to catch her interest. He winked at her, and while he was blushing, she was suddenly redder than he'd ever seen her. She ducked her head a bit, watching him with wide eyes as Alya nudged her side and grinned.

No doubt, Alya had brought her here to watch once class had finished. Adrien made a mental note to send her the most heartfelt thank you card he could find.

Adrien looked back at the photographer, tuning him out entirely as his attention narrowed to Marinette and how she stared at him in absolute awe. The decision to model for her and her alone wasn't one he made consciously, but there was no doubt that he made it somewhere between the flashes of the camera. He smiled just for her, angling perfectly and basking in her attention.

The photographer's pleasant surprise barely registered in Adrien's periphery, and he moved through familiar, practiced motions without breaking eye contact even once. Marinette hardly blinked, her focus almost rivaling Adrien's as she watched him work. With his much improved demeanor, the photo shoot was over all too soon.

Adrien walked over to the two observers with a smile, "H-hey."

"Hey, Adrien," Alya said with a friendly grin, "Nice job out there."

"Thanks," he answered, hardly able to do more than glance at Marinette, "It was nice of you two to stop by."

"I-it was nice to work you watch," Marinette said, immediately blushing, "I mean, watch you work." She chuckled nervously.

"You, um..." He rubbed the back of his neck, looking away, "You m-made it easier. I mean, better. I mean..." He swallowed and looked up at her, "Thanks?"

Alya looked almost disgusted as she stared at the two of them, "Oh, you have to be _kidding_ me. You're _both_ doing this now?"

They turned to her, Adrien wincing, "Um, sorry, I don't-"

"Since when have _you_ been a stuttering mess, Adrien?" Alya snapped.

"I-I'm not..." his voice trailed off as he realized he was contradicting himself already, "It's, um..."

Marinette raised a brow, finally realizing for herself that he really was, as Alya put it, a stuttering mess. "I-is everything okay?" Marinette asked, a bit hesitant.

"Home. I have to go. Um. I think Nathalie's calling me." Adrien dashed off to his car and slipped inside, ignoring how Plagg's laughter resounded from his bag. "That settles it," he grumbled, "I have to tell her _today_."

 

When night fell, Adrien transformed and made his way to Marinette's home, his heart pounding. He could do this, he assured himself. He just had to tell her who he was. He just had to be honest. It wouldn't be that hard. He was Cat Noir, and he was confident. He could do this.

And, fool that he was, he truly believed that up until he landed on her roof and locked eyes with her. A blush colored his cheeks, and he slowly straightened.

"Um, h-hi."

He was in so much trouble.

Marinette's brows snapped together as she scowled, "Cat Noir! What are you doing here?" She tugged him down to a crouch, "What if someone sees you?"

While he had been hoping that _she_ might be the one to see him, she had a point. He sat beside her, "Sorry, princess."

She frowned, "And since when are you nervous around me?" Her eyes narrowed, "Is this because you found out I'm her?"

"No, but... Kind of. That's not..." He looked down, taking a deep breath, "I-I came here to tell you who I am." What would it take to banish that stutter, he asked himself, a bit frustrated.

"Cat Noir, I already told you-"

It was his turn to shush her with a clawed finger to her lips, "No, I need to tell you."

She frowned, gently pushing his hand away, "It's better if we-"

"Can I please just-"

"We should try to keep it secret if we can."

"Marinette, I _can't_."

"Look, you can tell me once we defeat Hawkmoth. It'll be safer-"

"I can't wait that long."

She sighed, "Is this because you have a crush on Ladybug?"

He stilled as he blushed and looked up at her, "W-What?"

"Because, I have a crush on someone, too, you know," she admitted softly.

"I-I know," he said softly. Having experienced the behavior firsthand, he was now convinced that her nervousness around him as Adrien was because she'd fallen for him.

"You do?" she asked, raising a brow.

"I didn't know Ladybug did, but..." he shrugged, "Now that I know you're Marinette."

"We...know each other?"

"Can I just tell you who I am?"

She looked away, "You still want me to know? Even though you know I like someone?"

"Please don't be upset," he sighed, "I promise you'll understand if you just let me tell you."

She sent him a sharp glare, "Will I?"

"Yes, because, you're wrong about me. I love Ladybug, but now..." his expression turned soft, a goofy grin on his lips, "Now that I know _you're_ Ladybug..."

"Cat Noir..."

"I love you, Marinette." She froze in surprise, and he continued, "I did before I knew, but it was different." The words tumbled from his lips, "Now that I know it's you, I just can't believe you've been _right there_ the whole time, and..." He shook his head, "I can't believe I _missed_ it. B-Because you're incredible, and I should have seen it."

She froze and watched him warily, "What...?"

He ripped the ring off his finger, "It's _me_ , Marinette."

She was quiet for a long moment, blinking as the green flash of light faded, her eyes frantically darting between Adrien and his kwami. He waited, waited for a reaction so he could breathe again.

She screamed and covered her mouth as she scooted away from him in absolute shock, pale and wide-eyed.

He raised his hands in a hopefully placating gesture, "Marinette..." His voice was soft, "M-Marinette, it's just me."

"Adrien?!" she managed in a hoarse, horrified whisper.

His heart dropped at her tone, but he still managed a weak smile, "Yeah." Maybe he'd been wrong about her crush on him after all.

Plagg settled on Marinette's knee, looking up at her curiously.

Her eyes never left Adrien's as the color slowly returned to her cheeks, "You're Cat Noir..."

Her ever-expressive face went through a multitude of emotions, colors, and variations of surprise, but finally, she relaxed and moved closer, nearly dislodging Plagg. Adrien didn't dare move as she inched forward, trembling fingers reaching out to brush over his cheek.

She squeaked and withdrew again, "You're real."

He let out a breathy, nervous laugh, "Y-yeah."

"I'm not dreaming."

And with that, every tense, worried thought vanished. The tight sensation in his chest eased, and he finally sat beside her, watching the blush rise in her cheeks, "No."

She stared at him, blinking slowly.

He held out a hand, a cautious smile accompanying the silent invitation.

She tentatively reached out and slipped her hand in his, watching in awe as he pressed his lips to the back of her hand, never once looking away from her.

"Adrien..." she breathed.

"You see why I wanted to tell you n- Oof!" She nearly knocked him over as she hugged him and laughed.

"Adrien!"

He grinned and nodded, "Hey, bugaboo."

She leaned back enough to meet his eyes, grinning so wonderfully wide that he couldn't help but beam down at her. "Is that why you were so nervous this morning?" she asked.

He nodded, "Y-yeah, and I guess that's why you've been so nervous around me, too."

She blushed, ducking down to hide her face from him as she nodded.

He gently wrapped his arms around her, "Am I why you always pushed Cat Noir away?"

She snorted, regaining some of her typical calm now, "Not the only reason. Seriously, what's with all the puns?"

"What? You don't like my puns?" he asked, pretending to be offended, "They're meownificent." She snickered, and he grinned in triumph, "See, you _do_ like them."

"Only for you, Adrien," she laughed and gently rested her head on his shoulder, "And, I love you, too, for the record."

"Oh." He blushed again, feeling as though his brain had short-circuited, "You... You fight good." When she sent him an odd look, he cleared his throat and tried again, "I mean, you make a great Ladybug. I...I'm glad you're her."

She smiled and nodded slowly, "I'm glad you're Cat Noir. We make a good team."

"Y-yeah," he laughed nervously, "We do."

"Are you still nervous around me?" Marinette asked, eyes widening as she abruptly understood the source of his lingering awkwardness.

"A little," Adrien admitted, "It's a lot to take in. You're amazing, and you're Ladybug on top of that."

It was her turn to blush as she stared, "But...but, you're Adrien _and_ Cat Noir. You're incredible and sweet and gorgeous and strong and loyal and..." She winced, "I'm rambling."

He smiled, tentative at first, "I guess we're both a little miraculous, aren't we?"

"Yeah," she giggled, "I guess we are."

**Author's Note:**

> Also posted on tumblr under miraculousstorytelling.


End file.
